Hometown girl Natalie Martinez has come back from Hollywood to star in a new Apple TV+ comedy set right here in Florida. Things get serious when a food inspector discovers a body part, which probably wouldn’t pass restaurant health inspections.
Natalie Martinez, star of this new Apple TV+ series…
Vince Vaughn (as Andrew Yancy): “I can’t get involved in this.”
Natalie Martinez (Rosa): “You’re the one who got me involved.”
Vince Vaughn (as Andrew Yancy): “Oh, you want to be polite and start getting real?”
Natalie Martinez (Rosa): “Is that the intro to ‘The Real World?'”
Vince Vaughn (as Andrew Yancy): “In my defense, I thought you were too young to know that.”
…called “Bad Monkey”…
Alex Miranda: “Tell me about this monkey over here [points at movie poster].”
Natalie Martinez: “I mean, which one?”
[Alex laughs.]
…is literally from Miami.
Alex Miranda: “You’re back in your own hometown. You kind of teaching people the ropes.”
Natalie Martinez: “And I get to be like, ‘No, bro. You know?’ And super and ‘Pero like, what are you doing?’ I get to use my real accent.”
Alex Miranda: “What is your most Miami-ism?”
Natalie Martinez: “Everyone doesn’t understand, I call my husband bro. And they’re like, ‘Did you just call your husband bro?’ And I’m like, ‘Bro, you kidding me?’ And he’s like, ‘Bro, yes.’ Because he’s also from Miami.”
Which makes her a super good fit for the new Florida comedy, streaming Aug. 14.
Natalie plays coroner Rosa and co-stars with Vince Vaughn. He plays suspended Miami Police officer Andrew, who is now a food inspector.
Natalie Martinez: “He is given this case where they find this arm fished out of the ocean. And you need to figure out where it came from, what it is. It was his job to kind of like, ‘OK, if I figure this out, I’ll get back in good graces with Miami PD.’ So, he brings me. I play a coroner. We kind of get a little obsessed on it and go off on unofficial police business. And that’s where a lot of the comedy comes.”
The SoFlo story takes us to Key West, too, which she tells me Vince ate his way through.
Natalie Martinez: “This one standalone place called La Nina and this Cuban restaurant, when I tell you so Cuban, that it was so amazing that he fell in love with the pan con bistec that was there. The next day bought it for the whole set. Like, we had them cater the next day because it was such a good sandwich.”
Nat graduated St. Brendan High School in Westchester.
Alex Miranda: “Shoutout St. Brendan High School.”
Natalie Martinez: “St. B. Sabres!”
Alex Miranda: “What would you tell the Natalies today who are in your position back then?”
Natalie Martinez: “I mean look, I had no idea. Like, that little girl had no idea what was going to be in her future. Don’t be scared, just get out of your comfort zone and just try things.”
Yeah, like solving a murder mystery, side by side with a Hollywood legend.
Natalie Martinez: “Vince, his improv and the way he takes his character and he drives the scene, so many inside jokes are going to be coming out of this series.”
Alex Miranda: “No, pero, literally.”
Natalie Martinez: “No, literally.”
Alex Miranda: “Not supposedly, but like literally super funny.”
Natalie Martinez: “Literally, it’s the superest, funniest thing ever.”
[Alex laughs.]
“Bad Monkey” is scheduled to premiere Aug. 14 on Apple TV+.
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